ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · vault · bank · capital · bore · hand · temple · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — help
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — to drill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com